Interview with Business FM – Screen Time for Children

On Friday 3 May 2019, Dr Marieke de Vries was interviewed by Business FM. In this interview, she discussed the recent World Health Organisation’s (WHO) guidelines on screen time for children aged 5 and under, and how these guidelines are part of a larger framework for providing adequate physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children of those ages. She discussed the advantages and disadvantages of using screen time for children (say, to occupy children when the parents need to take a break), and that the ultimate decision on screen time should be borne by the family as a whole.

Besides looking at the WHO guidelines, she also touched on her work as a cognitive neuroscientist working with children and her interest in autistic populations, as well as the cognitive benefits of face-to-face interaction and sleep in children.